New Mexican Restaurant Opens in SF

The culinary power couple's first restaurant, Dalida, located in the Presidio, quickly garnered national acclaim after opening in June 2023, including being named one of Esquire's Best New Restaurants in America. Dalida's menu is described as modern Eastern Mediterranean, drawing inspiration from Turkish, Greek, Armenian, Jewish, Arabic, and Persian cuisines. Chef Laura Ozyilmaz, originally from Guerrero, Mexico, and Chef Sayat Ozyilmaz, from Istanbul, Turkey, met at the Culinary Institute of America. Their impressive resumes include stints at renowned restaurants such as Saison, Mourad, Eleven Madison Park, and Mugaritz. Before opening their first brick-and-mortar, they ran a popular pop-up called Istanbul Modern SF. New Mexican cuisine is a unique fusion of Native American, Spanish, and Mexican culinary traditions. It is distinct from other regional Mexican or Tex-Mex food, largely due to its focus on the native New Mexico chile pepper, which is used to create signature red and green chile sauces. The official state question of New Mexico is even "Red or Green?". Maria Isabel will be a deeply personal project for Chef Laura, celebrating the coastal traditions of her native Guerrero and her father's Sinaloan roots. The 56-seat restaurant will take over the former Ella's American Kitchen space in Presidio Heights. The menu is expected to feature dishes like aguachile and chilorio, using ingredients from the chefs' own garden plot and local farms.